Liquid seal for collecting mains of distillation ovens or the like



June 11, 1935.

w. BEIMANN 2,004,266

LIQUID SEAL FOR COLLECTING MAINS OF DISTILLATION OVENS OR THE LIKE FiledOct. 11, 1933' Fig. 3

a e I a J/ a A I a I\I I c a) INVENTOE @A LG ATTORNEY Patented June 11,1935 PATENT OFFICE LIQUID SEAL FOR COLLECTING MAINS OF DISTILLATIONOVENS OR THE LIKE Wilhelm Beimann, Bochum, Germany Application October11, 1933, Serial No. 693,109 In Germany July 2, 1932 6 Claims. (Cl.137-69) This invention relates to liquid seals for collecting mains ofdistillation ovens and the like.

It is known to shut off the hydraulic mains of distillation ovens fromthe oven by a liquid seal chamber inserted inthat branch of theascension pipe which leads to the collecting main, the liquid sealfrequently being established by irrigating this branch pipe with ammoniawater or the like. The water seal chambers, however, must be of a rathercareful construction and, therefore, are comparatively expensive. Onehas attempted therefore for economys sake to replace the water sealchambers by throttle valves which are simpler and less expensive, buthitherto without practical success. For, the throttle valve becamechoked up in the closed position by tarry deposits and could be openedonly with difficulty, frequently only forcibly. Irrigation of thethrottle-valve when in the closed position did not remedy this drawback.For, it must be borne in mind that the lower side of the valve is underthe action of the hot gas existing in the main and coming from the otherdistillation chambers of the battery, and that sensible heat of this gasis transmitted to the valves which, consequently, are highly heated andexpand to such an extent that frequently they get jammed completely.

Now the present invention has for its object a liquid seal for thepurpose described in which the use of the simple and cheap throttlevalve is retained while the above-mentioned drawbacks safely areavoided. The invention substantially consists in the combination of thefollowing characteristic features each of which has a certain technicaleffect and by the combination of which the aimed at reliable, simple andcheap liquid seal is obtained.

According to the invention the throttle valve is dimensionedintentionally in such'manner that in closed position expansion of thevalve due to heat does not establish a gas-tight closure. Leakage which,ordinarily, would then occur is avoided by the valve being irrigatedwith a quantity of liquid greater than the quantity which can passthrough the gap intentionally provided. Finally, in the branch pipeleading to the collecting main, a lateral overflow water seal chamber isprovided through which chamber the liquid which collects above thethrottle valve is drained.

Abutments for the throttle valve in the pipe are not required, sincethevalve has the aboveexplained small dimensions and thus freely can swingin the pipe. The valve is controlled in the usual manner by means of anexternal system position,

of levers which preferably can be locked in the extreme positions of thevalve, that means, in the closed and open position.

By the intentionally provided clearance any jamming of the valve due toexpansion is safely 5 avoided, and, moreover, the edge of the valve iskept clean by that portion of the liquid supply which passes through thegap. Consequently no tar deposits are formed which might choke thevalve. The water seal provided in the pipe has the effect that theliquid level above the valve does not become too high, so that thelatter is not loaded uselessly. On the other hand, any passage of gasfrom or to the collecting main is prevented with security. The lateraldisposition of the overflow water seal further affords the advantagethat with sudden rise of pressure the danger is notably reduced of thewater seal being 7 blown out, in contrast to the known water sealchambers with which every blow of pressure immediately acts on theliquid level in the chamber, whilst with the overflow according to theinvention such blow of pressure in the first place acts on the throttlevalve and, therefore, influences the liquid level of the lateraloverflow chamber only to a substantially moderate extent.

It is of advantage to design the lateral overflow chamber in the form ofa J-shaped by-pass, the liquid seal being formed in the lower bentportionthereof. The liquid level then depends uponthe length of thelower, shorter leg of this by-pass which leg further may be maderegulatable. For cleaning purposes a removableplug may be provided on asuitable place of the chamber casing, although it has been found that inpractice no disturbing tar deposits occur in the chamber. In order toprevent too high a load of the throttle valve, the lateral overflowchamber preferably is disposed somewhat below the axis of the throttlevalve.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect, an embodiment of the same is illustrated by way ofexample in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a verticalsection of the liquid seal on the line I-I of Figure 2, showing thethrottle in closed position,

Figure 2 is a vertical section thereof on the line II-II of Figure 1with the throttle in open Figure 3 is a top view of Figure 1, Fig. 4 isa vertical section taken similarly Fig. l but illustrating amodification; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Referring to thesefigures, a denotes a tubular socket which is connected to that portionof the ascension pipe which leads to the collecting main. In the portionof the ascension pipe which is situated above the socket a is disposed ajet or spraying rose (not shown) of any suitable construction, by meansof which a cooling liquid, preferably ammonia water, is sprayed onto thesocket and the throttle valve hereinafter described. By its lower flangea the socket a. is attached to the collecting main (likewise not shown)"-The throttle valve is denoted by b and mounted in the socket a on ashaft b resting in bearings a As it will be seen especially in Figure 2,the shaft 22 projects outwards beyond the socket a and is tightened bya. stuifing box 0. A lever d mounted on shaft b serves to adjust thethrottle valve b. In Figures 1 and 3 the latter is shown in the 'closedposition, in which a narrow annular gap e exists between the outer edgeof the valve b and the wall of the socket a, see best Figure 3. The openposition of valve b is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1 shows that the socket a is provided with a J-shaped by-passagej which constitutes a. lateral water seal and overflow. The overflowlevel which is formed according to the length of the lower leg a of theoverflow casing, is situated below the shaft 12 of the throttle valve1). The leg a may further be made adjustable in length. A cleaning andinspecting hole or, see best Figure 3, is provided in the upper portionof the by-passage ,f and is normally closed by a plug g, Figure 1. Theconstruction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 difiers from that previouslydescribed in that it comprises means for regulating the length of thelower leg of the bypass. To this end the rigid casing part providing theoverflow edge a in Fig. 1 is replaced in Figs. 4 and 5 by a part Itsecured to a shaft 1' journalled in the end walls of the casing. Thepart it fits between two parallel casing surfaces a and by rotating theshaft 2' the level of the upper overflow edge of the part it and therebythe effective length of the over flow leg of the bypass may be varied.An external part is is provided for rotating the shaft 2' and part h.

I claim:-

1. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a pipeadapted to connect an ascension pipe to a gas collecting main and formedwith a valve controlled passage for the downfiow of gas and adapted tohave liquid sprayed into its portion above said passage, and with aliquid sealed bypass about said passage connecting portions of said piperespectively above and below the valve in the closed position of thelatter and forming a liquid holding trap preventing gas flowtherethrough, of a throttle valve in said pipe adapted when in itsclosed position to provide a leaky closure for said passage, wherebywhen more liquid is sprayed onto the said valve when in its closedposition than can leak through said passage, the excess liquid mayoverflow through said bypass.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a pipeadapted to connect an ascension pipe to a gas collecting main and formedwith a valve controlled passage for the downfiow of gas and adapted tohave liquid sprayed into its portion above said passage, and with aliquid sealed bypass about said passage connecting portions of said piperespectively above and below the valve in the closed position of thelatter and forming a. liquid holding trap preventing gas flowtherethrough, of a throttle valve in said pipe adapted when in itsclosed position to provide a leaky closure for said passage, wherebywhen more liquid is sprayed onto the said valve when in its closedposition than can leak through said passage, the excess liquid mayoverflow through said bypass, said bypass comprising a J-shaped portion.

3. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a pipeadapted to connect an ascension pipe to a gas collecting main and formedwith a valve controlled passage for the downfiow of gas and adapted tohave liquid sprayed into its portion above said passage, and with aliquid sealed bypass about said passage connecting portions of said piperespectively above and below the valve in the closed position of thelatter and forming a liquid holding trap preventing gas flowtherethrough, of a throttle valve in said pipe adapted when in itsclosed position to provide a leaky closure for said passage, wherebywhen more liquid is sprayed onto the said valve, when in its closedposition than can leak through "said passage, the excess liquid mayoverflow through said bypass, said bypass comprising a J-shaped portionwhich is below said valve when the latter is in its closed position.

4. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a pipeadapted to connect an ascension pipe to a gas collecting main and formedwith a valve controlled passage for the downfiow of gas and adapted tohave liquid sprayed into its portion above said passage, and with aliquid sealed bypass about said passage connecting portions of said piperespectively above and below the valve in the "closed position of thelatter and forming a liquid holding trap preventing gas flowtherethrough, of a throttle valve in said pipe adapted when in itsclosed position to provide a leaky closure for said passage, wherebywhen more liquid is sprayed onto the said valve when in its closedposition than can leak through said passage, the excess liquid mayoverflow through said bypass, and means for adjusting the overflow edgeof said bypass.

5. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a pipeadapted to connect an ascension pipe to a gas collecting main and formedwith a valve controlled downwardly extending passage, and adapted tohave liquid sprayed into its portion above said passage, of a throttlevalve adjustable between an open position and a closed position in whichit is within and extends across said passage but has its peripheral edgeseparated from the surrounding wall of the passage thereof by a smallmarginal joint space adapted to be sealed by liquid sprayed onto the topof said valve, and means providing a liquid sealed bypass connectingportions of said pipe respectively above and below the valve in theclosed position of the latter and forming a liquid holding trappreventing gas flow therethrough and through which excess liquid sprayedon the said valve when the latter is in its closed position may passfrom the portion of said passage above said valve to the portion of thepassage below the valve disc.

6. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a pipeadapted to connect an ascension pipe to a gas collecting main and formedwith a valve controlled downwardly extending passage including a portionhaving its wall curved about a vertical axis and adaptedto have liquidsprayed into its portion above said tions of said pipe respectivelyabove'and below the valve in the closed position of the latter andforming a liquid holding trap preventing gas 4 flow therethrough andthrough which excess liquid sprayed on the said valve when; the latteris in its closed position may pass from the portion or said passageabove said valve to the ,portion oi. the passage below the valve disc.

W. BEIMANN.

